英语学术写作 课程论文
题 目An analysis of the artistic Features in \
院 系 专 业 学生姓名 学 号 指导教师
二Ｏ一 年 月 日
An analysis of the artistic features in \
Abstract：Jane Eyre is a masterpiece written by Charlotte Bront?, a representative of critical realism in Britain in the 19th century. By using several kinds of writing skills, the author describes the orphan girl Jane Eyre overcoming kinds of difficulties, seeking for freedom and respect, and in the end living a happy life. The author reconstructed the female social status in the 19th century in Britain and reflected the affirmation of feminism and the criticism of bourgeois educational system. The thesis explores the artistic characteristics in Jane Eyre in different ways, including giving examples, analyzing the writing skills in it such as the psychological description, symbolism and the use of first person which make the image of protagonists well-developed. Besides this, it also reflects the present situation of Britain in the 19th century and makes readers know about the artistic characteristics in this novel and understand its charm more deeply. Key words: Charlotte; Jane Eyre; artistic characteristics; social reality
摘要：《简·爱》是十九世纪英国伟大的批判现实主义小说家夏洛蒂·勃朗特的代表作。作者使用多种不同的写作手法描写了孤女简爱历经各种磨难，却始终不放弃追求自由与尊严，最后收获甜蜜爱情和幸福家庭的人生经历，再现了十九世纪英国女性的社会地位，表达了对女权意识的肯定和对资产阶级教育制度的批判。本文从研究《简·爱》的艺术特色出发，通过举例论证，分析作者在文中所使用的象征、心理描写、意象以及第一人称等多种使人物形象更加丰满的写作技巧，展示出十九世纪英国社会的现状，是读者能够更加深入了解这篇小说及其艺术魅力。
关键词： 夏洛蒂；《简·爱》；艺术特色；社会现实
1. Introduction
1.1 Introduction about the author
The author of Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bront?, is a representative of critical realism in Britain in the 19th century. The novel is characterized by advocating the feminism and criticizing the social reality in Britain at that time. Charlotte had the same life experience and background with Jane Eyre, who is the main character in novel. Both of them were short and poor girls who spent their childhood in the orphanage. When they grew up and entered the society, they became governesses through their own efforts and sought for a equal sincere love. So we can say that Jane Eyre is of Charlotte?s spirit and reflects her personality. Charlotte shows herself an essential realist, petty tyranny and lack of culture among the upper class and sympathizes with the sufferings of the workers and of the poor people in general.
1.2 Introduction of the novel
The leading character in this novel is a girl—named Jane Eyre. She was the daughter of a poor man;
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unfortunately, she lost her parents at a very young age. She had no choice but to live with her aunt, Mrs. Reed, a heartless woman, who was unfair to the poor orphan. Someday, due to the fact that Jane was unable to bear the rude treatment any longer, Jane answered her aunt back and Mrs. Reed got so furious that she sent her to a charity school in Lowood. Jane stayed there for 8 years with 6 years spent in studies and the remaining 2 years as a teacher. Then Jane found a job of governess in the family of Mr. Rochester, a rich manor owner, and they fell in love with each other. However, when they were about to get married, Jane found that Mr. Rochester had a wife, a mad women secretly kept in an attic above the house. Jane was shocked and got away from the house, and was cared for by St. John, who also helped her get the job of a teacher in a village school. Meanwhile, Mr. Rochester?s house caught a fire and he lost his sight. Hearing that, Jane Eyre hurried to him and married him. The novel attacks the social phenomenon, and speaks highly of the feminism. 2
The use of symbolism
Symbolism is an art of literary creation. Through the use of specific image, it can help authors to express abstract things and meaning and trigger the reader?s imagination and association, so as to express a kind of intriguing thoughts and feeling. It is said that symbolism is readily-made external things which generally present in perceptual view directly. As a result, there are two main factors in symbolism, the first one is meaning, and the second is the meaning of performance. What Hegel stressed was that symbolism makes people aware that it is not only a specific individual, but implies the meaning of universality. Symbolism requires something similar between the two matters.
2.1
Symbolism of images
Imagery refers to a kind of artistic image created by the unique emotional activities based on objective things. Generally speaking, imagery is exploited to express subjective emotion through objective things. According to the famous poet Ezra Pound, imagery is a bridge between feeling and thinking; it reflects people?s experience in intellect and emotion and helps readers clearly understand what the author wants to express. Besides the sensory function, imagery also has function of metaphor and symbol. Charlotte uses the imagery successfully in Jane Eyre, which makes the novel have a strong artistic appeal.
2.1.1 Analysis of moon
In Jane Eyre, the word “moon” appears almost 40 times. Natural phenomenon though it is, the moon is given a deep connotation by Charlotte, such as kinds of emotion，atmosphere and the fate of the hero. The description of the moon sometimes is a part of scenery description and it strengthens the feelings of the novel; sometimes it appears as personification imagery in heroine?s eyesight; or maybe it is the simple maternal love. It is certain that moon is the symbol of beautiful and devoted love. Charlotte Bronte describes the moon imagery with her deep love for nature and her sensitive female feeling, which indicates and pushes forward the development of plots. The ordinary moon imagery becomes the symbol of hero?s fate and love, and enriches the
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whole writing.
2.2
Symbolism of colors
Apart from some idiographic imageries as moon, fire and tree, there are also some color words appear in the novel. In Jane Eyre, purple appears for the most time and all related with Thornfield, then is red which related with Gateshead.
2.2.1 Analysis of red—in Gateshead
Red in the Western countries is not as joyous as in China; it is a pejorative term and usually refers to violent, bleeding, warning or guilty.
In Jane Eyre, red can be seen as the typical color in Gateshead. To Jane Eyre, being able to read books in such a secret place is happy and enjoyable, however, this happiness doesn?t last long but is disturbed by her cousin John. Jane Eyre is accustomed to John?s bully and, with no doubt, she will treat him rudely as is found. This time is quite serious for Jane?s head is bleeding. These two red has indicated bloody, but the hard-nosed Jane resisted bravely and was punished into the red house by her heartless aunt. In that red house, bed is made of red wooden stand; the curtain on bed is also dark red; carpet is red; tablecloth is red; wardrobe, chairs are red; even the light brown wall is also with a little red. This kind of dark red tone presents a solemn and respectful scene, which also makes Jane Eyre much more nervous and scared. When we read the novel here, we can see that the red symbolism arranged by Charlotte is quite clear. Red represents violence and inhibition. Living in such an environment filled with dark red, Jane Eyre has put the seed of resistance in the heart. However, due to Jane?s little shape and loneliness, the result of resistance was evicted from the house by her evil-minded aunt. 3
The use of first person.
The novel Jane Eyre is written in the first person with the author telling the story in order of “my” experience. In this way, the author makes the protagonist more close to readers, and consequently the novel becomes more approachable. When we read the novel, we may share the same feeling with Jane as she is genuinely telling her feelings, her thought and her own experience.
When Jane Eyre growns up and becomes a teacher for some time, one of her friends—Ms. Temple left school, so Jane felt that she cannot stay there any more: “And now I felt that …?grant me at least a new servitude!?” (Bronte, 2012: 114) In this part, there is a lot of “I”. “I” feel tired, and “I” desired liberty, “I prayed, and so on. This voice of “I” delivers the emotion directly and strongly.
Charlotte?s writing style can make readers feel its power strongly. In 19th century, the vulnerable people, especially female had the same feeling. Even nowadays, many people also have the same feeling, so the success of this novel is that it aroused echo in our readers.
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4 The use of first person.
The novel Jane Eyre is written in the first person with the author telling the story in order of “my” experience. In this way, the author makes the protagonist more close to readers, and consequently the novel becomes more approachable. When we read the novel, we may share the same feeling with Jane as she is genuinely telling her feelings, her thought and her own experience.
The first sentence of this novel said “There was no possibility... out of the question.” (Bronte, 2012: 1) In this sentence, there isn?t an “I”, but it contains a voice of “I”. “I” communicates with readers directly, which makes the readers be on intimate terms with the protagonist. It not only creates a circumstance, but also delivers an attitude and atmosphere, which makes the readers touched by this honest telling in spite of themselves. Charlotte?s writing style can make readers feel its power strongly. In 19th century, the vulnerable people, especially female had the same feeling. Even nowadays, many people also have the same feeling, so the success of this novel is that it aroused echo in our readers. 5
Conclusion
Jane Eyre is a realistic novel written by Charlotte Bront?, one of the greatest British novelists in the 19th century. The author set the mood through a lot of symbols and exhibited the heroines? personality through much psychological description. And she also wrote the novel in the first person, which allows the readers to share the same feeling with the main character. Charlotte revealed women?s social status at that time through Jane Eyre?s expressive life experiences.
This thesis makes efforts to analyze the artistic characteristics in Charlotte?s Jane Eyre from different aspects such as writing technique and the realistic meanings. From this thesis, we may have a better and deeper understanding of this novel.
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An analysis of the artistic features in Jane Eyre
